I don't have to worry about predators at all right now

[Clay In Iowa]

Because my chickens refuse to go outside.

Every day for over a 2 months I've dutifully opened the pop door to let the chickens out to roam in an electrified enclosure. Over 16oo square feet of grass to munch. They look at the door and then look at me and seem to say 'yea right'.

Why you ask.........There are so many gnats in my area due to the cool wet weather they just can't stand going out. I shooed them out about two weeks ago and then closed the door. I walked around the coop to see what they were dong. They were shaking their head, snorting, and running around like they were crazy. Then I saw the swarm of gnats attacking them. I let them back in as fast as I could. These same gnats make life miserable for me as well. It's almost impossible to go out and get anything done. They are attracted to anything dark. Like an ear canal, nostril, hair, open mouth, eyes etc. Man I hope it warms up and dries out soon.

at least my chickens are safe from predators for now.

 

[mfsakc]

Can you run a fan out to their run? Would the moving air keep the nats out of at least part of their run?

 

[Clay In Iowa]

The day I shooed them out the winds was blowing at 15 mph + gusts.

This particular species of gnat is just nasty. They are seemingly unaffected my wind and love to dive bomb eyes, ears and nostrils. I mowed my 10 acre lot last week at top speed (13 MPH) and still needed a mask, ear plugs and hood to keep them out of my eyes, ears and nose.

This are is particularly bad for these things. I've even noticed other farms in the are that have chickens running around this time of year, there aren't any chickens to be found outside.

 

[mfsakc]

Ugh!

 

[redtailross]

How about a Mosquito machine/ magnet? We have major mossies up here in the Interior of Alaska...as big as your head (well that might have been a small exaggeration...

)

So we have a machine that sucks them up, you can get them that do 1/2 acre up to 1.5 acres? They run on Propane gas...

We fnd them at garden centres or hardware stores e.g. Lowes, Home Depot etc.


http://www.elitedeals.com/moco.html?gclid=CJOmvs704ZoCFRMUagodDhUxBQ

try this link, mosquito magent? It may work??

Good Luck

 

[Clay In Iowa]

Unfortunately it's not CO2 they are interested in like mosquitoes. They are attracted to color variations and movement. They like anything dark which is why I dig them out of my ears, mouth and nose everything I go out. They seem to have a talent for flying at top speed and hitting burying themselves deep in an ear or nostril.

Repellents don't work (sent based) and sticky traps do almost nothing. Almost every night there is a news report on them. And almost every night they tell you the ONLY thing you can do is wait for dry weather. The gnats breed in decaying organic litter (leaves, grass, crop residue). They will go away when it dries out.

Unfortunately this is the third year in a row for them. My 4 year old is dying to go out but can't stand them for more than 5 minutes. He runs into the mudroom and is usually covered.

 

[~*Sweet Cheeks*~]

Can you try putting down wood pellets and/or stall dry in their run to dry things out so they'll go elsewhere?

 

[astylishgirl]

horrid. I hate bugs.

 

[rachiegirl]

This wont help chickens, but it should help you and the family. We had the same problem at the camp we had when I was little. My uncle got some fishing hats(with the brim that goes all the way around) and some tulle/netting from the fabric store. He sewed the netting all the way around the hat and made it long enough to come to the shoulders. Looked like the hood bee keepers wear. It worked well and we could play outside! Should be fairly cheap too, check dollar type stores/good will for hats. Good luck and I hope the weather dries out for you soon.

Nasty little buggers.

 

[logansmommy7]

We have flies right now because it has been raining/storming daily for the last week....ugh. It is nasty. I wish it would just dry out for a few days! How do you dry a run? I mean, it's a big area!